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Admission Requirements and Application

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Requirements for Admission to Practice in the Northern District of Texas

Note: An attorney who has been admitted to practice in the the Northern District of Texas may practice in both district and bankruptcy court.

LR 83.7 and LCrR 57.7 identify the requirements for admission to practice in the Northern District of Texas. These procedures explain the process for becoming admitted to the bar of this court. If you seek permission to appear for one case only, please see the Pro Hac Vice Appearance instructions.

If you are a resident attorney or will travel to the Northern District of Texas to be sworn in:

Obtain an original Certificate of Good Standing issued within the last 90 days from the state bar or highest court of the state or District of Columbia in which you are licensed to practice.Note: Only one Certificate of Good Standing is required but one from a District Court will not be accepted.

In lieu of a notary, the clerk may witness your signature before your appointment for an $11 fee.

Discard "Optional Page" 3, unless you wish to be sworn in by a circuit, bankruptcy, or magistrate judge of this court; and

Attach the original Certificate of Good Standing described in Step 1.

Make an appointment to present your application to a U.S. District Judge (see the schedule for usual appointment days). If approved, the district judge will swear you in at that time. If you prefer to be sworn in by a circuit judge, bankruptcy judge, or magistrate judge of this court, a district judge must approve your application on the "Optional Page" 3, before you can be sworn in by the other judge. Your sponsor must be present to introduce you when you are sworn in by any judge of this court.

After you have been sworn in, present your approved application to the clerk's office and pay the admission fee. (Payment methods: Cash is accepted in Dallas and Fort Worth. Checks and money orders, made payable to Clerk, U.S. District Court, and the following credit cards: American Express, Diner's Club, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa, are accepted in all divisions.) The clerk will prepare your Certificate of Admission while you wait.

If you are a nonresident attorney who will be sworn in by a judge of another district:

Obtain an original Certificate of Good Standing issued within the last 90 days from the state bar or highest court of the state or District of Columbia in which you are licensed to practice.Note: Only one Certificate of Good Standing is required but one from a District Court will not be accepted.

Send the application to the clerk's office, but DO NOT send the application fee at this time. (If you send it prematurely, the clerk must return it to you, which will cause delays in the processing of your application.)

Once approved by a district judge of this court, the clerk will return the approved application to you, so you may arrange to have a judge of another district administer the oath of admission to the Northern District of Texas.

Arrange to be sworn in by a judge of another district. The other district's judge will need to sign on the "Optional Page" 3 to show that the oath was administered.

Send the completed application and the admission fee in a check or money order made payable to: Clerk, U.S. District Court to the clerk's office. The clerk will mail your certificate to you.

If you have not yet registered for electronic filing, please be advised that LR 5.1(f) and LCrR 49.2(g) require you to do so within 14 days of your appearance in any case.

If You Are Requesting a Judge to Deliver Your Oath of Admission to Another District:

If you are seeking admission to practice in another district, follow the admission procedures of that district. If you wish for a NDTX judge to administer the oath of admission for the other district, make an appointment through the judge's chambers to be sworn in.

Notice to attorneys who are employed by the federal government:

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas has waived the $25 local attorney admission fee and the $25 pro hac vice fee for attorneys employed by the federal government at the time of application. However, any attorney who wishes to be admitted to the bar of the Northern District of Texas must pay the mandatory Judicial Conference fee for attorney admission. Bar membership is for an attorney, not for the government, and the fee charged for admission to the bar is not a fee for a service that the clerk's office renders on behalf of the government. Bar membership stays with an attorney, regardless of whether the attorney continues employment with the government. The Northern District of Texas does not charge a renewal fee for admission to the bar.